Rosemary Beach 2015 Part 3

Since I had a 20 week baby bump, my beach vacation was a little different this year.  No wine or fruity drinks for me!  Instead, I tried to get lots of naps and reading in....two things that won't be happening much in the near future.  :)

Gordon and I usually try to go on a couple of dates while we are in RB.  Date nights only happen about once a month when we are at home so this is our chance to get a little extra us time in!!  For whatever reason, this year we just had one lunch date.  After putting William down for a nap, on Mother's Day, we headed over to Cowgirl Kitchen for a quick lunch.  I was a little sad to miss out on the free mimosas they were serving mamas, but made up for it by eating chips and queso.  :)  

Most of our time was spent on the beach this year!  We did have a couple of lunch's at George's (another favorite....best Sesame Crab and Avocado Salad), took lots of bike rides, Gordon went deep sea fishing with his brothers, we had our annual family shrimp boil and fish fry at the house and this year we celebrated Emily's 30th birthday with a grown up night out (big thanks to the nanny service we've used for the past 3 years)!  My mother in law arranged a fabulous dinner at Cafe Tango for the birthday celebration.  You can click here for their address.  It's located in the cutest little cottage and is by reservation only (so call in advance if you want to go).  Everything was delish!

This year, William got a little friend to play with!  His new cousin was as cute as can be.  Thankfully, William was gentle with her and super sweet.  I know they will have a blast together in the years to come.   

We spent every evening looking for crabs this year!  Little William is fascinated by them.  When we'd dump them back in the ocean he'd say, "Bye, bye.  Crab go back home to see his mama!"  

Catching crabs with Daddy | Hanging with his mimi and grandad | Checking out the sand flea

Found one! | Practicing his little gym moves | San Destin for lunch while daddy was out fishing

Annual Fish Fry | The boys playing games on the beach

We always come back home refreshed and rejuvenated!  Only 8 months until we get to go back again!!! :)

Rosemary Beach 2015 Part Two

Looking at all of these beach pictures sure is making me want to take a vacation.  With baby girl's arrival quickly approaching that won't be happening...so for now, I'll just enjoy these sweet pictures.

This was, by far, our best trip to the beach with William!  Our days basically revolved around this little guy and what he wanted to do....and that was play at the beach.  Next year will be a bit different since we'll have Anna Grace's schedule to work around.  So, this year we played, played and played some more. William always tells us "I'm happy!"  During our time at the beach he probably said it every 10 minutes.  :)  Melt. My. Heart.  I think he loved being with mama and daddy all day long, not having to go to school, not having to rush off to here and there, rarely having to get in the car, no errands to run, lots of playing, bike rides, staying up late, ice cream every day, a pool in our backyard, and lots of family to play with.  Seeing him so happy makes us so happy.  

    

Day 1: loving the sand |  Caption: "Listen here guys, I'm not leaving this beach for a nap!" | Who can say no to those blue eyes | I'm a fish too! | Buried in the sand | Snack time on the beach is the best

Our days as a family of three are numbered.  I'm so excited and ready to meet Anna Grace, but a little nervous about what our "new normal" will be like.  We've had 3.5 fabulous years getting to love on just this little guy...and that's all about to change.  I know it's going to be even better.  :)  Some days will be hard for William (and me too, I'm sure).  I just hope he always knows how much we've enjoyed our time with him.  He made us parents.  He's brought us an unimaginable amount of joy.  Anna Grace will get her "time alone" with Gordon and myself when this little dude heads off to college one day.  Until then, we will be a big happy family of four!  God is good.  We are blessed.  

4th of July Weekend

Well, I can't say our 4th of July turned out the way we expected....but it was still fun!  Our original plan was to meet my parents at La Torretta on Lake Conroe for the long weekend.  On Friday, we got all packed up and made our way up to Conroe.  We had a 2 bedroom villa on the lake booked for our stay at La Torretta.  Due to the cerclage I can't swim in lakes (I was even told to steer away from public pools).  With that being said, this lake trip was going to be nice because our jet skis could be pulled right up to the villa.  I'd be able to watch everyone, get a good lake view and we'd have the hotel pool to keep William occupied.  WELL....long story short, when we arrived we were told the people in our villa were refusing to leave.  So instead, the hotel put us into a villa on the golf course that had a sliding glass back door that didn't lock.  As you can see from the pictures below we ended up back at home!!  My poor parents drove hundreds of miles, with the jet skis, all for a long weekend in the burbs.  :)  Friday night we went ahead and stayed in the Woodlands because we'd scheduled a 3D ultrasound in the area the next morning.  La Torretta really messed up our plans!!

On top of all that Gordon and I had bought tickets to the Garth Brooks concert at the last minute.  So, after dinner on the lake and unpacking William at the hotel we headed into town.  After baby girl comes dates like this won't happen for a while....so, I'm glad we did it.  We didn't crawl into bed until 2am!!  But, it was worth all the yawns.  Mr. Garth put on a great show.  

The next morning, July 4th, we headed to our ultrasound (and got zero pictures of baby girl) and then back home.  We went to our local parade, had dinner at one of our favorite places and did some fireworks.  To say William had a blast is an understatement!  He talked about our firework show (which was mainly sparklers and smoke bombs) for weeks.

The boys went shooting on Sunday morning so Nana, William and I headed to The Downtown Aquarium.  William loved looking at all the fish, the train ride was obviously a hit and the stingrays were super fun to feed.    

It may not have been the weekend we envisioned but we still had a blast and made lots of fun memories!!

33 weeks pregnant with #2

Week 33 has definitely been one of the hardest so far!  I'm so happy to have made it farther along than I did with William. :)  With that being said, I really feel like my body wants to have this baby, but thankfully with all the medical interventions it can't.  Good for baby, really uncomfortable for mama.  

How far along? 33 weeks (Augusts 7th-August 13th)  

Weight gain:  Haven't gained any weight in past 4 week.  (up a total of 25 lbs)

Energy: Finally getting over my cold and stomach bug!  Not sleeping very well at night but I've been taking advantage of nap time on my days off work.        
Best moment this week: I really thought baby girl was coming Sunday night.  I was pretty mad.  haha.  Her staying put made me happy.  :)  
Movement:  Same.  When I'm laying down I feel some really weird things due to the cerclage.  I wish I could record the things I feel.  Pretty bizarre!
Food cravings:  Still don't have much of an appetite.  I'm the hungriest in the morning but have to make myself eat dinner.  I've been loving marshmallows and snocones!!!  William and I love a good coconut snocone.        
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope      
Miss anything?  Not having to pee after drinking a sip of water.  LOL.  
Stretch Marks?  Luckily, NO!  I'm not very good about moisturizing the belly.  I don't really think that makes a difference in whether or not you get stretch marks.....but I always feel better when I do lotion the big belly up!  
Wedding rings on or off? On but they are tighter this week.
Happy or Moody? I don't think moody is the right word.  Just feeling uneasy and worried.   
Other pregnancy symptoms:  On Sunday night I started having painful contractions at 9pm.  They lasted until 3am.  The contractions weren't very regular and came about every 15 minutes.  I stayed up until 1am to see what was happening.  They continued to wake me up until 3am.  The next morning, while waiting for the doctor to call me back, I got our hospital stuff packed up, bottles/pumping parts washed and sterilized and instructions for William all written out.  I'd been having period like cramping for several days but nothing like these contractions.  This definitely brought back a lot of laboring memories.  Can't say I'm looking forward to all that pain again.  hahaha      
From the doctor:  I saw Dr. Zepeta on Monday.  A test was done to see if labor was coming (FFN).  Luckily, this came back negative!  Baby girl's head is still right over the birth canal.  She is low and ready to come out.  Apparently the 2 stitches are super strong!  My doctor officially wrote a note for my work stating I had to be on "light duty" for the next 4 weeks.  This means, when at work, I can only be up on my feet for one hour/day.  
To be on the safe side, I got 2 steroid shots (one on Monday and one on Tuesday) to help develop baby girl's lungs in case she decided to come early.  Having to see William be intubated was so sad.  Watching your baby struggle to breath and then to have to watch multiple people attempt intubation unsuccessfully was no fun.  Thankfully, an anesthesiologist was finally able to get William intubated.  I was more than willing to get these 2 shots to prevent breathing problems!  The first shot hurt SO bad.  I left the hospital limping and was so sore the next day.  Gordon said the nurse really stabbed me with the needle.  :/  Luckily, the next days shot was 100% better!  Over the next several days I had side effects from all the steroids I'd received (those 2 shots plus my progesterone on Saturday).  I would randomly be on FIRE!  I'd be so hot, red and sweaty.  I am so happy to have this week behind me!!!   

William and I did these pictures on the self timer! :)    

Baby is the size of a Pineapple

At the hospital getting shot #1/2.  William kinda liked our time there.  He got to eat some Cheetos and watch a show!  By the time I got the shot it was so late in the day (aka traffic).  So, we headed to Rice Village so Daddy could walk through a job site and we could eat dinner before making our way back to the burbs.    

Shot #2/2.  William pointed out the window and said, "Mama, look!  It's my home."  Not so much honey.  Thankfully, this little guy is a trooper in rush hour traffic!

32 weeks pregnant with #2

How far along? 32 weeks (July 31th - August 6th)  

Energy: William and I were still feeling sick (coughing etc) plus we both got a stomach bug.  Sleeping is hard to come by these days!  
Best moment this week: Not having the baby while Gordon was out of town for work.  :)  This was the week I delivered William.  It's always a relief to wake with no ruptured membranes, no contractions....just fairly normal pregnancy stuff!  Every extra day we get is a blessing.    
Movement:  Same.  More Braxton Hicks contractions this week.
Food cravings:  Stomach bug = no appetite.  Able to drink fluids without a problem but had to watch what I ate.  Sweet things sounded yummy!      
Miss anything?  Just wanting to not have a stomach ache along with everything else!  
Maternity Clothes:  Everything besides work out pants!  The belly really seemed to grow this week.  
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody? Happy to have my mom in town while Gordon was gone.  There's nothing better than your mama cooking for you at night!    
Other pregnancy symptoms:  This baby girl can get to moving at night time.  With her being SO low, and having the stitch, I feel the weirdest things all. night. long.  There really is no explaining it.....let's just say I'll be happy when the stitch comes out!  
  

I look like I need a nap in this picture :)

Our Little Fishy

With as often as Gordon, William and I are around swimming pools and large bodies of water we decided putting William in a good swim class was a MUST!  We found a highly recommended Swim Academy just down the road from our house that we have really grown to love.  The owner of the company was a pediatric nurse that had seen far too many drownings and near drownings.  I'm so thankfully she opened the Swim Academy to help parents teach their children a valuable skill!
Their summer time schedule was so busy that we weren't able to start William until July 13th.  The class William takes is an infant survival class.  Each class lasts 15 minutes.  I was shocked at how short the classes were at first but I quickly realized why.  They. Are. Intense.  Luckily. William has done a fabulous job.  He loves the water and tells everyone he's a dolphin and a shark!
The first four weeks William went four days a week.  Our busy evenings just got busier (again, so very worth the time and money).  This has given me a little glimpse into our sport days that are just around the corner.  The second day of the first two weeks were the hardest.  For whatever reason, William was the most upset on these days and just cried for mama.  Thankfully. other than that, he's been a champ....and even asks to go to swim class!
Today was the start of Week 5 (which means only 2 days a week of swim).  William can now float on his back unassisted, understands to swim to the side of the pool to rest, and is learning that when he can't make it to the side he must roll over to his back, to a floating position, to rest until swimming the remainder of the way.
His teacher, Ms. Amelia, is wonderfu!  William tends to struggle with flipping onto his back.  He doesn't understand why he can't just swim back and grab onto the teacher.  *he's a bit hard headed*  I guess grabbing onto the human in the water is just a natural instinct.  Today, she took him to the big pool for the first time!!!  He did much better there for some reason.  He finally realized that getting to a floating position wasn't an option.

Waiting of our turn on Day #1

Watching your child struggle in the water is hard.  Watching your child cry for you while taking these intense classes is hard.  Thinking of your child drowning (being scared and alone) is harder.  Burying your child due to a drowning accident is unbearable.  $28/class.  I'd pay more.  We should have done it sooner.  The lessons he's learning are priceless.  They are skills he'll keep with him forever.  After this month he'll go once a week for as long as we want.  We plan on keeping him in a class from here on out.  I'd love for him to be on a swim team one day!  It's such great exercise and a skill that helps keep you safe.  William's teacher has told us several times that he's a strong swimmer.  Music to this mama's ears!  

Ready for swim!

Even on days that William has cried or not gone right to his floating position we've been so proud.  We tell him everyday how important being safe in the pool is, that he has to learn to float and that there isn't always someone there to save you.  And honestly, I think he understands.  He's trying so hard.  He loves practicing with us in our pool on the weekends.  We can't tell him enough how happy and proud of him we are!!!
So, if you can, find a class in your area!  Believe me, you won't regret your decision.  My heart is so happy watching our little fishy in the water.

31 weeks pregnant with #2

How far along? 31 weeks (July 24th-July 30th)  

Weight gain:  Didn't gain any weight the past 2 weeks (up a total of 25 lbs).

Energy: I "caught" the cold William had (yucky nose, eye drainage, productive cough).  No sleep = tired mama (and little boy).      
Best moment this week: I got several things checked off my to do list!  I saw my OB, got my hair done, and went to the dentist.  Knowing that I delivered William at 32 weeks has put my nesting into overdrive.  
Movement:  Same.  Still lots of wiggling around at night.
Food cravings:  Not much of an appetite with the cold.      
Anything making you queasy or sick: All the drainage from the cold.  Being sick is no fun.      
Miss anything?  Sleep!  Between the cold, the worst heartburn ever, getting up to use the restroom, and having to deal with William when he gets up in the middle night....I'd say God is doing a good job preparing me for a newborn.  ;)
Maternity Clothes:  Tops have to be maternity.  Some of the skirts I wear aren't maternity but are super stretchy!     
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody? Feeling a little anxious/nervous about when she'll arrive.  
Other pregnancy symptoms:  Worst. Heartburn. Ever.  I should buy stock in Tums.  Every night it starts at 7pm.  Laying down is miserable.  So, I prop myself up on lots of pillows and hope for the best (which usually means not falling asleep until midnight).  I feel so bad for anyone that suffers from this on a regular basis.  No fun!    
From the doctor:  Dr. Zepeta was really worried about how low she is now.  She is just hanging out, head down, right over my cervix.  He felt like this was a big change since he saw me 2 weeks ago.  My belly measurement didn't change either (another indication that she has dropped down really low).  I was instructed to take it very easy.  Basically, try to be on bed rest when at home and light duty on the days I work.  I think we'd all be super happy if I'd make it to 34/35 weeks.  If I'm still pregnant, the stitch will come out at 36 or 37 weeks. The next anatomy scan will be done at 34 weeks.  Depending on her size, a decision will be made as to when to remove the stitch (with some of my symptoms, it will most likely be 37 weeks).  

This pic is too funny to not post.  Can you tell he, all of a sudden, had to go pee pee!

With her arrival date quickly approaching, I've been thinking a lot more about how William will adjust, what our new "normal" will look like, and if I'll do a good job with 2 babies.  I know I'll love her just as much as I love William, but it's so hard to believe that your heart can love that much!  I can hardly wait for us to be a family of four (well, I can wait a little longer because the NICU would be no fun).

30 weeks pregnant with #2

How far along? 30 weeks (July 17th-July 23rd)  

Weight gain:  Didn't weigh myself this week and no doctors appointments.

Energy: I definitely have less energy than I did in the 2nd trimester, but we've also stayed really busy.  
Best moment this week: Getting to see baby girl on the big screen.  We tried the 3D ultrasound again....still not much luck.  She still had her feet by her face and even tried to suck on her toes.  She was moving her mouth a lot during the ultrasound and even had a big yawn.  It looks like Anna Grace has some hair (at least on the back of her head, her head was too low for us to see the top)!  The ultrasound tech kept telling me how low baby girl was (which makes getting a picture of her face even harder).  She told me several times I should really be taking it easy since she's just laying on my cervix (thank goodness for the stitch).  
Movement: Things are the same in this department.
Food cravings: More hungry this week!  Especially in the middle of the night when I'm up to the bathroom (which is 1-2 times/night).  Chips and salty stuff like popcorn and pickles.    
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.       
Miss anything?  Cooler temperatures!
Maternity Clothes:  Yes!  Thank goodness for stretchy material.  :)  
Wedding rings on or off? On 
Happy or Moody? Getting so excited to meet her soon.  I can hardly wait to see what she looks like, what her little personality is like, if she's anything like her brother or polar opposite.  The anticipation of meeting your child is priceless! 
Other pregnancy symptoms:  I've noticed that I've had less Braxton Hicks contractions since being on the progesterone injections.  This is a good thing!!  
From the doctor:  No appointments this week but William did have a dentist appointment.  He is missing 6 of his baby teeth.  :(  There is a chance that he won't have his adult teeth either.  Since nobody in our family is missing teeth (it's not genetic) they think it's probably due to his prematurity.  My poor baby.  I'm just really hoping he has the adult teeth.  We will probably do x-rays in 6 months so we have a better idea....I haven't felt the need to....won't change anything!  Although I'm sad for our little guy I realize it could be so much worse!  Just feeling blessed for the wonderful health that we all have!   

Baby is the size of a Cabbage

This is the best picture we got.  Her little face is all smooched because of the legs surrounding her face etc....but, it's better than nothing.  I wrote the word hand over her knuckles (her fingers are above that).  Her little cheek is resting on her hand.  It looks like she'll have the Hattenbach chubby cheeks (aka my cheeks).  Her lips look nice and plump in this picture (mama is jealous).  Her nose is too smooched to tell what it'll look like.  

I can not wait to kiss this sweet little face!!!  xoxo

Family Filled Weekend

Week 24 was another fun week filled with lots of time with family.  William was in Midland at the beginning of the week, so we got a couple of date nights in.  I had to go into town on Monday for an appointment with my MFM and then the dermatologist.  Gordon and I met up afterward for dinner at Jonathan's Rub.  We love their salads (and the mac 'n cheese)!  Tuesday evening I got my nails and then we went to see Entourage...which, by the way, was pretty funny (and a good change up from Disney shows).  I headed to Austin on Thursday to meet my mom and William.  :)  We got to meet my cousin's new baby girl, Ellie, and visit with my aunt.  William was super attached to me for the next few days.  He had lots of fun in Midland but was glad to be back at "his home".  What can I say, all three of us are home bodies!     

Meeting Baby B | My handy helper | Painting baby girls room

Fishing with the boys | They caught a BIG fish! | Daddy caught an alligator

Happy birthday, Papa | Celebrating Anna Grace | Dinner at Lupe!

That weekend we got Anna Grace's room painted pink and painted the furniture we bought back in February white.  Everything turned out perfect!  We are so lucky to have had help from my mother in law, dad, mom and of course William.  Haha.  The hardest part of painting the room was keeping William out of the area.  Sunday was my dad's birthday and the day of Anna Grace's baby shower.  It was a fun filled day spent celebrating two of my favorite people!  

It's no wonder this pregnancy is just flying by....every day/weekend is filled with something to do.  Going to the dermatologist had been on my to do list for a while.  It's a great feeling to get much needed things done.  I had a suspicious mole biopsied during the visit.  Luckily, everything came back okay!  Please remember to check your skin and see your dermatologist every year!!!  Life is too precious.  :)  

  

29 weeks pregnant with AG

How far along? 29 weeks (July 10rd- July 16th)  

Weight gain:  Up 8 lbs in 1 month (total weight gain 25 lbs).  I seem to have "growth spurts".  I hardly gained anything the first trimester and then right before the beach I gained a lot at once and then again this month.  I don't really feel different or feel like I look much different than I did with William at this stage....well, except for the difference in muscle tone.  Still on pelvic rest so no exercising for this mama.    

Energy: Feeling tired.  I worked 5 days this week since we had some people out on vacation in our clinic.  This was also William's first week of swim class (which was 4 days during the week).  It was a busy week, but we survived!
Best moment this week: When it was over.  LOL.  Just kidding. :)  I will say I was always super glad to get home and lay on the couch with the air conditioner blasting and the ceiling fan blowing down on me.  It's too HOT outside! 
Movement: Poor baby girl has been getting the hiccups three times a day.  During my OB check up the nurse started laughing when trying to get her heart rate because she's such a wiggle worm.      
Food cravings: Pudding.  I haven't actually eaten any but it sure sounds good.    
Anything making you queasy or sick: Started having some heartburn in the evenings and feeling kinda yuck in the mornings.    
Miss anything?  A margarita!  Soon enough. :)
Maternity Clothes:  My scrub pants have gotten pretty tight around my lower belly area.  I'm always super happy to get home to some nice comfy PJs.  
Wedding rings on or off? On but with these hot days they are starting to get tighter!
Happy or Moody? Happy to have our William home but the heat can bring out my moody side.  
Other pregnancy symptoms:  Back hurts when I'm sitting.  It feels the best when I'm laying down but that's no good after eating since I've started having heart burn.  
From the doctor:  I saw Dr. Zepeta on Thursday, July 16th.  Things seem to be going well.  I think the baby is pretty low but he doesn't seem to think she's too low.  This was the week I got put on bed rest with William and had signs of pre-term labor.  So, Dr. Zepeta has recommended I take it super easy over the next 5 weeks.  Taking it easy is always easier said than done when you have a toddler...but I'm trying.  Around 33-34 weeks baby girls head should be as big, if not bigger, than the birth canal....making her entrance into the world a little harder.  So, that's the goal, try to stay off feet as much as possible until I reach 34 weeks.  :)

Baby is the size of butternut squash

William loves talking to Anna Grace and rubbing my "big belly".